Cat who survived underwater on sunken boat is adopted

The beautiful tortoiseshell cat who was discovered in a boat that sank in Lake Havasu the weekend before last has found a new home.

Lucky, as she has been named, managed to survive for over an hour after the boat was overcome by waves and ended up submerged near a sandbar in about 15 feet of water, where it sat for nearly an hour before workmen who were already on the lake came to haul it out and away.

The kitty is thought to have survived, trapped in the ski locker compartment, thanks to an air bubble formed when the boat sank with the bow end pointing upwards. She was discovered the following morning by a very surprised mechanic and was taken by animal control and then transferred to the Western Arizona Humane Society where she was held for a number of days.

Lucky had no microchip or collar, was unspayed and was determined to be about 9 years old. She was spayed at the shelter before being made available for adoption.

The story, which we shared in our July 29 post, Lucky tortie cat is rescued from sunken boat, got widespread coverage across local and far-flung media outlets, which should have increased the likelihood that anyone missing her might have seen the story.

Lucky is thought to have stowed away on the boat in Orange County California and ridden aboard as it was towed to Arizona and put into the lake.

The Havasu News-Herald was the news source of record for the original story and now has reported that Lucky (originally called River) has been adopted from WAHS by Bonnie Butterworth, who arrived at the shelter at noon today after keeping in contact for several days with WAHS Director Patty Gillmore.

“I was in tears after I read her story,” Butterworth told the paper. “I can’t even think about what this cat went through.”

“This is not my first cat rescue. People don’t understand how much rehab these cats have to go through. It takes a lot of patience, but if you do it right, you can have a really great cat.”

“I’m just thrilled to finally get her out of the shelter. She needs to heal.”

Butterworth says Lucky will spend her first few days in her new home in a calm, quiet environment as she makes the adjustment to her new life.

“She’s still very nervous,” Gillmore said. “Our veterinarian says that she’s going to need a lot of tender loving care. She’s been through a lot of trauma after she was stuck under water for so long, but she’s a lot more comfortable than she was last week, thank goodness.”

Lucky suffered blisters on her paws during her ordeal and may have sustained minor injuries to her back but was mostly unharmed.

Commenting on Lucky as one of those cats whose story puts them in the spotlight, Gillmore said: “I’m glad she was saved, I’m glad she’s healthy, but there are a lot of other cats here that I would love to let go of. Every cat has a story. There are so many different stories here.”